She shook my hand, her grip unnecessarily hard. “Looks like it.”
For a second neither of us spoke.
“So you made it here after all.”
“Eventually,” I replied shortly.
She sighed and her shoulders slumped. She moved closer and lowered her voice. “Look, we both care about Kara. Let’s just get this done and keep it civil for her. I’ll lead.” She squared her shoulders and started for the trees.
I watched her for a moment as her legs ate up the distance. For a reason I couldn’t explain even to myself, I did as she instructed and followed.
Chapter Three
Wren
“Hey, wait a second,” I heard from behind me.
Deja freaking vu.
“We’re supposed to be a team.”
I remembered Kara’s desire to have everyone get to know each other and slowed… a little.
“Then I can be the team member who does the navigating. You can be the one who keeps up.”
I was still annoyed over the whole airport incident, partly because he had been an ass and partly, because I had felt bad for him anyway.
“For the record,” he said, now walking at my side. “I work for search and rescue so I would be really good at navigating.”
“Well, I am a wildfire fighter so I know how to find my way around.”
He made a rude noise. “A fire is a hell of a lot easier to find than a losthiker. I should navigate.”
Again, the freaking audacity.
“If a fire is so easy to find, go find one.”
“I can’t. We’re supposed to be bonding, remember?” His tone dripped in sarcasm.
I rounded on him, my temper getting the best of me. Against my will I noticed how full his lips looked, framed by his dark beard. He was in a well-fitting T-shirt that showed sleeves of tattoos down both arms. Even the backs of his hands had tattoos. Ironically the tattoo was of flames… that tracked since I was a firefighter.
“It’s a scavenger hunt, not a freaking zombie apocalypse. We don’t need to compare credentials.”
The hard line of his mouth softened into an infuriating smirk. “I’d kick ass in a zombie apocalypse.” He caught up again and we moved through the trees side by side.
“Oh yeah, you think being search and rescue will save you from a monster?” I indulged him.
“Nope, but I have a plan.” I looked over as we walked and he tapped his temple.
He was irritatingly cute and his eyes had warmed since we’d started walking.
We have to get along for Kara’s sake.
And maybe I was a little curious. “Okay, I’ll bite. What is your plan?”
He scoffed. “I can’t tell you my plan.”
I laughed without meaning to. “You think I’ll steal your plan? You can’t even catch a flight.”
